Across the Void
by xanadove
Summary: Gaara mysteriously disappears without a trace and Temari takes it upon herself to find her Kazekage and brother, without or without Suna's help. A HP/Naruto crossover, but not for a while yet. Reviews encourage chapter growth :p. Rated PG- T? o.o"
1. Falling

_Please be kind, the last time I wrote any sort of fiction was in 2004. __This new system's very strange, it's taken several goes to get this the way I want it._

_Constructive criticism is welcome :)_

_I also apologise if the characters seem OOC o.o"_

* * *

Gaara couldn't move. He was completely frozen, constricted in the enemy's technique. He couldn't move a single part of his body and was finding it hard to breathe now as the pressure around his chest grew. The tips of his fingers twitched as he tried to direct the sand, but it remained motionless within the gourd.

"It's pointless," a low feminine voice murmured somewhere to his right, "you're bound and I've isolated your chakra. There's no way out of this technique. Your sand won't respond unless I attack you directly, which, of course, I will not do. I can simply crush you from here."

Gaara felt a slight twinge of panic as a few ribs began to creak, his body straining for air. The room they were in was cast in a dim glow, though Gaara's senses were honed to perfection so it made up for the lack of light. At the moment however they where blocked, no doubt an effect of the jutsu he was trapped in. The attack had come so quickly the sand didn't even have a chance to leave the gourd. Gaara hadn't seen the woman thus far.

"How does it feel, Gaara of the Desert, to be crushed to death?" The voice spat venomously, "think of this as being like you Desert Coffin. When I think about it you were kind to your enemies, they only had a moment for feel every bone in their body break. I, however, am not so generous and will draw out that pain."

A groan of pain pushed through Gaara's clenched teeth, coughing up blood as a rib snapped. What could he do? The sand was swirling violently within the gourd, but without knowing who to attack, it simply stayed there.

Panic wasn't a thing Gaara was used to. Surprise came every so often, as did confusion. Happiness was a rare thing indeed and fear hardly registered. With only anger, indifference and sadness as his major emotions, he had a hard time dealing with and identifying others. He didn't know how to react to this small taste of fear.

"You are a monster; you do not belong in this world!" The voice was closer now but still out of reach of the sand. "Today you will die-!"

"Now, now, no need to get so violent, Kinu-chan."

Gaara started, his eyes flickered to the left. A new voice. How long had they been there? He couldn't sense their chakra.

"H-Hebi-sama! What are you doing here?!"

"I should be asking you the same thing," came the amused chuckle. "What business do you have with the Kazekage?"

Gaara tried to turn and face his attackers but it was impossible.

"Hebi-sama, I… I was just… just avenging those he's killed…" She sounded frightened, even though 'Hebi-sama' was speaking quite calmly.

"Oh? Enlighten me."

Gaara frowned as the woman stumbled incoherently over her words. Who was she avenging? And who was this man that caused her to quail in fear?

"Why kill him, Kinu-chan, when I can just dispose of him entirely? It wouldn't do for Suna and their allies to find the Kazekage's corpse with traces of your chakra laced through it. That would be a most troublesome situation."

That didn't sound good. Gaara coughed up more blood, not realising that the crushing had ceased as soon as Hebi appeared.

There were footsteps and a shape appeared in the corner of the Kazekage's vision. Slowly a man came into view, a handsome smile gracing his aristocratic features.

"Forgive my subordinate, Kazekage-sama-" this was said with a drawl that made Gaara's eyes narrow "-but Kinu-chan is most uncouth in her ways. This is no way to show respect for Suna's Ultimate Weapon. How thoughtless of her. Rest assured she will be punished."

Gaara said nothing. If looks could kill this man would be more than dead by now.

"And to show you the respect you deserve you won't die today." There was a protest from Kinu behind Gaara but it was completely ignored by the man in front of him. "As a gesture of goodwill I will show you something amazing!"

The sand scraped against the gourd angrily for escape, sensing the imminent danger Gaara was in.

"Satsu-chan, if you could assist please."

An ordinary and plain looking girl seemed to appear out of nowhere. She had a very unthreatening aura about her but Gaara knew better than to let his guard down. She looked no older than 17 and there was something familiar about her that he just couldn't put his finger on.

Seals formed from both Hebi and Satsu's hands in perfect unison. Suddenly every fibre in Gaara's body screamed in agony and it was all he could do not to cry out. The pain blinded him, his eyes rolling up into his head. Darkness rushed up to meet him and he was falling, spiralling down into nothingness.

* * *

"War?!"

Tsunade stared in shock at Temari as the sand nin broke the news. The Earth and Wind countries were at war. Not only that but Suna's Kazekage, Gaara of the Desert, mysteriously disappeared without so much as a trace shortly afterwards. Needless to say the elders and councillors were in quite a state, especially with war declared. The Ultimate Weapon was no longer at their disposal and this new vulnerability terrified them. The Earth Country was a force to be reckoned with and had nins in far superior numbers to that of Suna. However, a vast desert offered natural protection and those not accustomed to such an environment quickly found themselves either dead making a hasty retreat. Unless need be, Suna wouldn't leave the safety of the desert.

It stemmed from a diplomatic visit gone wrong. Ironically it was in the name of proposing a peace treaty between the two countries, which weren't on the best of terms anyway. Said treaty would have, amongst many other things, increased import and export of local and foreign goods as well as opened up more employment opportunities for their ninja.

What had gone so wrong during the negotiations? No one was entirely sure of the details but it was generally understood that a split drink and some name calling were involved. Petty but ultimately blown out of proportion, thus resulting in war.

"As you can understand, Hokage-sama," Temari was explaining, "we are stretched to our limits in terms of man power. We can't afford to send our best ninja to look for the Kazekage with nothing but a sketchy lead to go by. With the ever increasing threat from the Earth Country, we are forced to put our village and the lives of its inhabitants first…"

Tsunade glanced up as Temari trailed off, raising an eyebrow.

"I… he's the Kazekage and… and my little brother but I can't search for him alone…"

"So you would like Konoha to provide you with nins?"

"Ah, that's correct."

"To help you in this war or find the Kazekage?"

Temari was silent for a moment. "I… my priority is the safety of the village, but… but I believe finding Gaara will insure that, even if the council wishes for me to stay and defend the village…"

"So you simply wish to find the Kazekage?"

"…Yes."

Tsunade leant back in her chair, turning to gaze out the window. She was reluctant to send nins to Suna, even though the two countries did have a treaty. Konoha and the Earth Country were on rocky relations as it was and to aggravate the already delicate balance would cause a lot of problems. Konoha was perfectly capable of defending itself against the Earth Country but with Suna thrown into the equation, it would just create an unnecessary loss of life, as well as paperwork.

But it seemed all they wanted was help in finding Gaara, or all Temari wanted at least. That was still a valid reason in her eyes.

"Very well, I will provide with the assistant you require."

Temari's face lit up. "Thank you, Hokage-sama! May I ask who will be assigned to me?"

"Let me see…" Tsunade brought out a file containing the details of all ninja currently on or off missions. It listed a brief overview of the person in question, as well of their rank and any specialities including bloodline limits. After a quick flick through, Tsunade set the folder down again and fixed her eyes on Temari. "Unfortunately I can only afford to give you two."

"That would be perfect," Temari said with a bow. "Um… who are they?"

Tsunade placed her elbows and the desk, linked her hands together and peered at the young sand nin over the top of them. "Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Neji."

Temari's eyes widened slightly but nodded. "I see. When can I expect them to be ready to go?"

"Neji returned from a mission moments before your arrival and Naruto has been been in the village for a week. I will have them ready by tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Temari said gratefully, bowing before turning to the door to leave.

"You're welcome to stay in the guest rooms here until tomorrow."

With another bow and word of thanks, Temari left the office, shutting the door quietly behind her. Tsunade sighed and leant back in her chair, her gaze drawn to the view outside the window yet again. It really was a beautiful day with blue skies and fluffy little clouds dotted here and there. A bird would flitter past every now and then and the sounds of life below were a bit muffled thanks to the newly fitted double glazing. It was a god sent; now Tsunade could sleep quite peacefully without being dragged awake by an unidentified shout or the like from outside.

Naruto was going to be happy with a new mission, Tsunade mused, turning back to the pile of paperwork on her desk. There was a lot of paperwork. Maybe if she had a little doze the headache that had suddenly appeared would go away…

* * *

_Ok, how was that? Please R&R :)_


	2. The Mission

_Sorry for taking so long with the update, I 'think' I've finally been able to work this new system out. That and my computer's so sloooow DX!_

_As I may or may not have mentioned in the previous chapter, I haven't written fiction for years so any helpful hints/etc would be great ._

_Annnnd on with the story!_

* * *

Naruto sprinted to the main gate the following morning as fast as his groggy mind could handle. He was late, truly a student Kakashi. Temari and Neji were already waiting there and he skidded to a halt in front of them, spraying Neji with dust.

"Old granny said I had a mission with you two! I only read the letter she sent a moment ago, I was at the ramen bar when I got it last night and I must have been distracted cause I forgot I had it and only remembered to look this morning…"

While Naruto blabbered on, Neji brushed the dust off with as much dignity as he could while reining in the urge to thump the blonde, while Temari started to head through the gates, completely ignoring the blonde and the other's plight. Naruto was still chatting as he and Neji followed her.

They took to the trees and hurried quickly along, Naruto and Neji following Temari's lead. They had no idea what this mission entailed just that Gaara was somehow involved and probably had something to do with the war between Wind and Earth. Tsunade hadn't included any details in her letters, simply saying that Temari would fill them in.

They journeyed in relative silence with each contemplating what was in store for them; Temari wondering what would be the best way to gut the person behind all this, Neji searching his memory and knowledge for any links between the war and Gaara, and Naruto leaping determinedly on, knowing he would do anything to make sure his friend was brought home safely.

"We should camp here for the night," Temari said as the evening fast approached, jumping down from the tree branch and landing lightly, with Neji and Naruto following suit. The clearing was walled by high rising shrubs and trees. A little stream trickled gently nearby and everything was covered in moss and tiny wild flowers. Rays of light broke through the thick canopy, dappling the leafy floor with the gentle glow of evening. Motes of dust drifted lazily in the air and a bird chirped nearby.

"Wow!" Naruto ran to the most comfortably looking patch of moss and claimed it as his own by throwing himself down on it, only to find it had been covering some very jagged rocks.

"How picturesque." Neji said blandly, ignoring the blonde's shriek.

"It's like something out of a fairytale," Temari murmured, gazing around.

Neji set his bag down by a comfortable patch of moss and began to set up camp. Naruto, pouting as he rubbed fresh bruises, moved to another patch of moss and, finding it was safe, unpacked also.

"I'll get firewood and scout the area," Temari said before disappearing into the trees.

"Hey… Neji." Naruto said after a while.

"Hm?"

"What's this mission about?"

"I don't know."

"Really?!"

A nod.

"Huh." Silence, then… "Well what's rank's this mission?"

"…"

"Neji?" Poke.

The Hyuuga's eye twitched. "I don't know."

"Hey, Neji, Neji!"

Sigh. "What?"

"…Do you have any food?"

It was a good thing Temari chose that moment to return because Neji was on his feet, about the thump the blonde round the head for being such an idiot.

"The area looks fine, I brought firewood and also got some clean water from the stream. There was a clump of wild strawberries there too…"

"Strawberries?!" Naruto hurried over as she dropped the wood onto the floor, relieving her of the delicious fruit.

"Idiot," Neji muttered as he and Temari stared the fire and got a few tins of food out.

Twenty minutes and several tins of carrots later, the three found themselves sitting cross-legged around a fair sized fire, its soft glow dancing over their faces in the darkness. The sun had set surprisingly quickly and darkness had crept up on them fast.

"So, outline the mission for us," Neji asked as he placed another log in the flames.

Naruto leaned forward expectantly, his knee twitching with impatience.

"As you are probably aware, Earth declared war on the Wind country. No one is too sure of the details but in a meeting of diplomats to propose a peace treaty, something disastrous occurred." Temari shifted slightly on the rock she'd taken for a seat. "Anyway, words were said and war was declared. Although we have the desert as a natural fortification, a group of nin from Earth reached Suna. They were no match for Gaara of course. We interrogated the sole survivor for days but he revealed nothing. Eventually he bit his tongue and bled to death, the bastard," she added as an afterthought.

"So our mission is to find the one responsible for this attack?" Neji guessed.

"Yes… and no. Our main priority is finding Gaara-"

"Eh?! What do you mean by 'finding Gaara?!'" Naruto yelped, springing to his feet and upsetting a half eaten tin of carrots.

"It means how it sounds," Temari replied coolly, "our mission is to find Gaara. If we find the ones responsible along the way then all the better."

"What happened?" Neji asked as Naruto continued to splutter.

"No one's really sure, one day he just vanished. This was about a week after the attack. He was in his office when I delivered the morning report, nothing out of the ordinary, then when I came to find him at noon he'd gone. I searched everywhere but there was no trace of him. I asked everyone in Suna but no one could tell me a thing."

Naruto slowly sat, his brow crinkled with worry. "He can't have just vanished, I mean, this is Gaara we're talking about…"

"Was there anyone suspicious around?"

Temari regarded Neji for a moment. "As a matter of fact yes, and that's why I've asked for you, to be my backup. A day before Gaara disappeared, a strange woman was seen lingering near his office and home. At the time she wasn't confronted, what with all the fuss over the attack from the Earth nins. She didn't stand out particularly, just looked like a travelling merchant." Temari sighed, running a hand through her hair. "She vanished at the same time as Gaara and is the only lead we have…"

Neji gazed at her steadily. "Who is this woman?"

A humourless smirk twisted Temari's features. "We ran a check on her afterwards. The Kazekage's personal guard were keeping on eye on her, like they do to every foreigner who's gets near Gaara. Turns out she's a missing-nin, in the Bingo Book no less. Gets her kicks from torturing her victims apparently, though no one has survived to be able to say how she does this.

Naruto's eyes widened, a very unpleasant image of Gaara being strangled by some nameless jutsu coming to mind. "W-what?!"

"What's her name?" Neji probed.

"No one's really sure," Temari whispered dramatically, "she butchers anyone who gets in her way. Anyone who finds out her name finds themselves dead seconds later, or so it's said. She then vanishes without a trace, leaves no tranks to follow. They simply call her Shisou."

Temari extracted a copy of the Bingo Book and handed it to Neji. Naruto scooted closer to peer over his shoulder as he flicked through the book until he found the name.

"'Shadow of death.'" Neji murmured, reading the kanji above the picture of a young woman. She looked small, almost childlike, even in the picture, with large soft blue eyes and golden brown hair that was twisted up into a messy bun and held in place by what looked like two senbon needles. Her skin seemed a little pasty and her eyes dull, possibly no older than any of the ninja sitting around the fire. If this picture wasn't in the Bingo Book Neji would have considered her completely harmless.

"She's the one who got Gaara?" Naruto asked, eyeing Shisou's picture sceptically.

"Maybe. Kankurou recons she was a scout of sorts, but she's the only lead we have," Temari sighed.

"Don't underestimate her," Neji warned, "she wasn't put in the Bingo Book for no reason." He glanced down at the page before him. "Is she not the one who butchered an entire village because one of the local children working in the bakery dropped the bun she'd brought?"

"Apparently so."

Naruto's jaw hung open, hardly daring to believe what he was hearing. "She…she murdered an entire village… because a child dropped a roll?! How can someone do that?"

"Itachi had no qualms about mass murder, not only that it was his entire clan, save Sasuke, so why shouldn't Shisou be hesitant about killing a couple hundred strangers in a go?" Neji said quietly, throwing a log onto the slowly dying fire.

Silence followed this, the glow of the flames their only source of light, even the forest offered no sounds of life. Only the crackling of the fire could be heard.

"We should probably sleep, we have a long day ahead of us. We need to get to the Earth country boarder as quickly as we can and to where Shisou was last seen. We have to be careful though, if they see that I'm from Suna…"

"Don't worry Temari, I'll protect you with my life!" Naruto declared with much gusto, adopting a scary likeness to Lee. "You too Neji!"

"How comforting." It was hard to tell whether Neji was being sarcastic or not.

"I'll take the first watch, you guys get some sleep."

As Naruto and Neji settled down in their sleeping bags, Temari gazed into the flickering fire, hugging her knees. 'Please be safe, Gaara.'

ZZZ

It took several days of hard travel to reach the Earth County's boarder. The journey had been suspiciously easy, they'd met little resistance in the Waterfall Country and even less so once they crossed the boarder into Earth. This may be a result of the group donning nondescript civilian clothing. With their weapons and forehead protectors safely hidden away, they passed with relative ease... until they reached the mountains acting as a natural boarder for the country.

"Ahhh why?! Why the hell are there mountains here?! They're so steep!"

They'd already spent several hours scaling up a path that, apparently, was one of the best for foreigners who'd never been to Earth before. Said path disappeared into the clouds as the mountain continued to climb and didn't look to be levelling out any time soon. High winds whistled through the mountain ridges, whipping at their clothes and hair, every now and then hurling a rock at them.

"Stop complaining Naruto! You're a ninja, deal with it!" Temari snapped, adjusting her fan which was cleverly disguised in a bundle of straw. The stuff kept getting in her comfortably fitting kimono and irritating the skin of her back. It wasn't helping her mood.

Neji sighed as he felt the beginnings of a headache coming on. The clothes he'd 'borrowed' indefinitely from a merchant dozing by the side of the road were too big for him. Even with it tied securely at the waist, he still had to hitch it up over his shoulders every few steps. If he weren't a ninja, a jounin no less, his trousers would have tripped him up by now. To top it all off the material was poor. It made his skin itch like hell. His Hyuuga upbringing prevented him from becoming enraged with the offending articles that offering him minimal protection from the elements. He'd happily jump the next person he saw with comfortable looking clothes.

"Neeejiii! Temariii! These clothes are too tight-!"

The cry that followed carried over to the next mountain range as Neji jabbed Naruto in the chest, hard, his actions betraying his calm exterior.

"Anyway, we should be coming up to a village…" Temari consulted a map with many contours showing that the terrain was high above sea level and for the most part incredibly steep. Lakes of various sizes were dotted between ridges, and rivers cut through the mountains. There wasn't a lat of vegetation either and a large number of caves were also marked, though Temari doubted all of them showed on her map. "Ok, there's a tiny village 10 degrees west of our current position. If we take this route here-" she drew a finger over the map for the two boys to see "-then we should get there before nightfall."

"That's flatter than this path… isn't it?" Naruto asked as he eyed the chosen route, rubbing his aching chest. It would probably bruise.

"Um, Naruto… this route is much steeper than this one…" Temari said gently.

"You _can_ map read, can't you?" Neji asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I can! I… I was just testing your own map reading skills! I knew it was a much steeper route! Right! Onwards!" Naruto declaired loudly, marching off down the path.

"Naruto. You're going the wrong way," Neji smirked.

Temari gave an exasperated sigh, sidestepping a boulder that chose that moment to come crashing down the mountainside. This was going to be a very long mission if they didn't find Gaara soon.

* * *

_How was that, any good? Reviews mean cookies 3_

_Oh, and before I forget, I'm going camping in Cornwall for about a week or so so I shall not update until sometime the week after next. I've got my fingers firmly crossed for fine weather, none of this rain we seem to be having at the moment digs out lucky shell... for luck xp._

333


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